Eight Sleep has released the new Pod 4 and Pod 4 Ultra smart mattress covers, which offer temperature regulation, snore detection, heart rate tracking, and other features designed to aid sleep.
Like its predecessor the Pod 3, the cover can be used on any existing mattress, so if you think you’ve already bagged one of the best mattresses, you won’t have to worry about upgrading.
The Pod 4 and Pod 4 Ultra pack all the basic tracking functions from heart rate variability, respiratory rate, to sleep stage tracking – the sort of functions you might find on the best fitness trackers, featuring a total of 36 advanced biometric and environmental sensors.
There are a number of exciting new features that set it apart from its previous models, Eight Sleep states the Pod 4 has been “clinically validated” to enhance your sleeping experience, adding an extra hour to your sleep time while reducing your wake time, up to three hours per month.
Its major algorithm boost over the Pod 3 helps to improve snore detection by up to 45%, picking up on snoring for up to two individuals in one bed, without the added hassle of relying on wearables.
The new mattress base, exclusive to the Pod 4 Ultra, adjusts to provide ‘Reading’ and ‘Sleeping’ body positions. If the Pod 4 Ultra picks up on snoring, the Base can respond by elevating the head, reducing and even stopping snoring, all without input from the user. Clever, eh? The Pod 4 also packs a new thermal engine which, according to Eight Sleep, will be able to reach temperatures as low as 55 degrees Fahrenheit in hot weather conditions.
The Pod 4 is available now for $2,549 / £2,699 / AU$3,999, and Pod 4 Ultra for $4,049 / £3,849 / AU$6,249.
Analysis: The internet of things
Smart mattress covers fall into that category of tech that makes you ask the question “why?”, much like wearable exoskeletons or AI-powered shoes. However, a mattress cover which can auto-regulate temperature, act to prevent snoring as it happens, and track your health like one of the best sleep trackers certainly sounds appealing.
According to Eight Sleep’s CEO Matteo Franceschetti, “most humans spend one-third of their lives sleeping on foam mattresses that do nothing to improve their sleep”. So with the launch of the new Pod 4 and Pod 4 Ultra, the mission is simple; to “continue to prove that technology can be used to understand what each person needs for optimal sleep”.
Turns out the best smart rings, billed as the sleep-tracking form factor to watch in 2024, aren’t the only game in town. Who needs a ring to improve your bedrest, if your bed does the job by itself?
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